How to Apply to Life Sciences and Medicine-Related Majors at Emory: There Is No Pre-Health Major, Biology, Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology and Human Health Are Declared by the End of Sophomore Year, and the Nursing BSN Is Applied for After You Enroll, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

Emory University’s life-science and medicine-related undergraduate programs are taught mainly in Emory College of Arts and Sciences (Atlanta campus). Students may also start at Oxford College for the first two years before moving to Atlanta, and the nursing BSN is offered by the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, which students enter after first enrolling in Emory College or Oxford College. This guide follows Emory’s website and is organised for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Biomedical engineering and similar engineering programs are not covered.

1. Life-science and medicine-related degrees

• Starting campus: Emory says you can apply to Emory College, Oxford College or both with one Common App; all students earn the same Emory degree, and Oxford students move to the Atlanta campus by junior year.
• Biology: the Department of Biology offers a B.S. and a B.A. The B.S. is preparation for scientific careers or the health professions and takes at least 57 credit hours, including at least eleven biology classes totaling 30 hours. The B.A. takes at least 38 credit hours, again with at least eleven biology classes totaling 30 hours, and suits students who want a liberal-arts education with strong biology training. For advising only, the department lists three tracks: Integrative Biology, Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology.
• Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology (NBB): a B.S. that combines behavioral biology with how the nervous system controls body functions and cognition; the program calls it an interdisciplinary synthesis of neuroscience and behavior. Oxford College students can take courses there that count toward the major. The major requires six foundation courses, four core courses and seven electives, all taken for a letter grade; the honors program has its own page.
• Human Health: an interdisciplinary program run by the Center for the Study of Human Health, studying health through scientific and social lenses. The center lists the Human Health major; an “epidemiology focus” (not a separate degree but a set of electives within the major: HLTH 207, 279, 306, 408); a Human Health and Economics joint major; minors in Global Health, Culture, and Society, in Nutrition Science and in Predictive Health; a Health Innovation concentration with the Goizueta BBA; and a Human Health BA + Epidemiology MPH 4+1 (graduate epidemiology coursework starts in the fourth year, completing both degrees in five years; students are invited to apply in the fall of junior year).
• Anthropology and Human Biology: a B.S. major whose listing in the admissions program finder says that if you are interested in a pre-med curriculum, future physicians will benefit from several perspectives in anthropology.
• Nursing (BSN): the School of Nursing’s “Traditional BSN Freshman Option” is for Emory College and Oxford College students seeking a first bachelor’s degree and a career as a registered nurse. It runs eight semesters (four prerequisite, four nursing), full time and on campus. Graduates are eligible for the NCLEX exam to become a registered nurse in any U.S. state, and the page says students graduate with more than 600 hours of directly supervised clinical practice.
• Other: the pages we read do not list a public-health bachelor’s major, nor separate kinesiology or nutrition bachelor’s programs; the program finder shows combined degrees such as BS/MPH, which we do not cover.
• Combined B.S./M.D. programs: not described on the pages we read.

2. Admission and choosing a major: admitted to a college, major by end of sophomore year, nursing applied for separately

• Admitted to a college, not a major: the application steps are to add Emory in the Common App, choose whether to be considered for the Emory Scholar Programs, write essays and submit transcripts and recommendations. The pages we read do not say whether the application asks for an intended major.
• When to choose: the Biology page says students must choose a major by the end of the second year and may do so as early as the second semester of freshman year. Students submit the online Declaration of Major/Minor form; the department then assigns an adviser, and the request is subject to department review. The Biology B.S./B.A. and NBB pages state no GPA threshold or enrollment cap.
• Nursing is a restricted program: Emory College students typically apply to the BSN in their third semester, usually fall of sophomore year. The page says Emory undergraduates applying to the BSN are automatically admitted if they meet certain requirements. Guaranteed admission requires finishing the prerequisites with a C or higher by the start of the program and a cumulative GPA of 3.0; applicants below 3.0 are waitlisted for further review by the admission committee, which may request updated transcripts and letters. The page also says decisions depend on competitiveness and program availability, and waitlist decisions may be announced up to the first day of orientation.
• Nursing application materials (Emory students): the application; an unofficial Emory transcript; official transcripts from institutions outside Emory; a resume; and an optional personal statement. The $50 application fee, high school transcript and test scores are waived manually by the admission team for Emory students.
• Fall 2027 BSN rounds (School of Nursing): Round 1 due August 1, 2026 with decisions October 15, 2026; Round 2 due October 1 with decisions December 15; Round 3 due December 1 with decisions January 25, 2027. The page says the traditional BSN requires admission to Emory University or Oxford College first.
• International students in the BSN or clinical placements: the nursing pages we read do not say whether international students face separate limits in the traditional BSN or in clinical placements; not published there. The BSN transfer option requires a WES evaluation of international transcripts (see Section 9).

3. Prerequisites and credit

• High school preparation: the first-year page says only that the classes you take and the grades you earn matter and that Emory adjusts its review to each high school’s standards; no specific high school courses are listed for life-science majors. The Biology page notes that a student’s plan may be affected by AP Math or AP Chemistry credit, pre-med/pre-health plans, summer plans and the quality of the high school biology class.
• Biology: the department puts the requirements in a “Fall 2020” requirements document and worksheet that we did not read; check the department’s website. The pages state credit totals only: at least 57 hours for the B.S. and 38 for the B.A., each with at least eleven biology classes totaling 30 hours.
• NBB: foundation courses are two semesters of biology with lab (BIOL 141, 141L, 142, 142L), two semesters of chemistry with lab (any CHEM courses), statistics (DATASCI 100, MATH_OX 117Q, DATASCI 210, or Math 361 and 362) and one quantitative course (MATH 111, 112, 112z, 116, 211, 212, 221, 275; BIOL 212; CS 170; DATASCI 200). If you have AP or transfer credit for BIOL 141, you must take BIOL 141L in the fall before enrolling in BIOL 142 in the spring. Core courses: NBB 201 (ANT 200, sophomore fall), NBB 301 (BIOL 360), NBB 302 (PSYC 353) and NBB 401W or 402W. The suggested sequence puts foundation courses in the first two years, and BIOL and CHEM can be taken together with rigorous high school preparation such as high AP or IB scores.
• Nursing (traditional BSN, Emory College): prerequisites within 60 semester hours of college credit — Chemistry I with lab, 5 credits (CHEM 150 and 150L); Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab, 4 credits each (NRSG 201, 202); Microbiology with lab, 4 (NRSG 205); Clinical Nutrition, 3 (NRSG 207); Intro to Statistical Inference, 3 (DATASCI 100); and Human Growth and Development, 3 (NRSG 200). You may apply with courses in progress but all must be complete before the program begins; the nursing prerequisites are open only to nursing or pre-nursing students. Oxford College uses its own course numbers (CHEM_OX 150 and so on).
• AP, IB and credit: the credit page says entering first-year students may receive a combined total of 18 credit hours from AP/IB, A-Level and other international exams and college courses: AP and IB up to 12 hours, A-Level, French Baccalaureate and other international exams up to 12 hours. Emory typically awards three semester hours for each AP score of 4 or 5, and all credit is reviewed after the student deposits. AP/IB/international scores may be used only for general credit, prerequisites for higher courses, the First-Year Communication requirement, one Intercultural Communication course and the major/minor (subject to departmental rules). Official AP results must come from the College Board and IB results to the Office of Admission, by August 1 for evaluation before orientation and no later than the end of the first semester. Courses that count toward the high school diploma, including dual enrollment of that kind, earn no credit.

4. Plans, deadlines, materials and fees

• Plans and deadlines (the page shows no year; check that they are for fall 2027): Early Decision I is due November 1 (aid documents December 2, decision by December 15); Early Decision II January 1 (aid January 6, decision by February 15); Regular Decision January 1 (aid February 10, decision by April 1); the Emory University Scholar Programs November 15 (decision by March 1); transfer March 15. Both Early Decision plans are binding (you must pay the deposit and enroll if Emory makes it affordable); Regular Decision is non-binding. You can apply to Emory College, Oxford College or both, or ED to one and RD to the other.
• Platform and materials: the Common App; the general personal essay plus two Emory short-answer questions; two evaluations from core-subject teachers (English, math, science, social studies, world languages and so on); the school report, transcript and mid-year report submitted by a school counselor; a $75 application fee or a fee waiver.
• Testing: Emory is test optional for the 2026–2027 cycle, and the exams page says so for first-year students starting in fall 2027. If submitted, Emory superscores both tests (SAT best section scores; ACT average of the four best subject scores) and accepts the ACT with or without the Science section. Admitted students who used self-reported scores must submit official scores in June/July, and a negative discrepancy may lead to withdrawal of the offer. Emory encourages self-reporting AP scores of 3 or higher. Codes: SAT/TOEFL 5187, ACT 0810. November scores typically arrive in time for ED I; January exams cannot be considered for ED II; January scores are typically in time for Regular Decision.
• Interview: the only interview the pages describe is the optional InitialView for international applicants (below).
• Recommendations: two core-subject teachers; the pages we read do not require a recommendation from a teacher in a major-specific subject.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Cost (2026–27 estimate): Emory College lists one price with no in-state or out-of-state split: tuition $70,300, fees $1,148, housing $13,222 and food $9,184; indirect allowances: travel $1,100, personal $1,620, books $1,286 and direct loan fees $88; total about $97,948, excluding Emory’s health insurance (students without comparable coverage are enrolled automatically). The nursing BSN has its own estimate: tuition $70,300, fees $2,248, housing $13,222, food $9,184, transportation $1,100, personal $1,620, books, supplies and equipment $3,000 and direct loan fees $88, for a total of $100,762.
• Aid: Emory says it meets 100% of demonstrated need for first-degree undergraduates; through Emory Advantage, need-based loans are replaced by institutional grants; and starting in Fall 2026, students from families earning $200,000 or less (typical assets) attend tuition free (Emory Advantage Plus).
• Applying for aid: the aid office’s forms are the FAFSA, the CSS Profile and IDOC; the admissions plan table gives aid dates of December 2 (ED I), January 6 (ED II) and February 10 (RD).
• In-state preference: none described on the pages we read.
• Scholar programs: the Emory University Scholar Programs offer partial to full merit-based scholarships; the deadline is November 15.

6. International applicants

• Process: international applicants apply as first-year students and meet all first-year requirements, plus English proficiency and financial certification. Emory says its students come from more than 100 countries.
• English proficiency: if English is not your primary language you must show you can succeed in a rigorous English-speaking classroom. Any of these satisfies it: an SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score of 700 or higher; an ACT English subscore of 30 or higher; or the most recent four years in a school where English is the language of instruction for all academic subjects (excluding world languages). Otherwise submit one of: TOEFL iBT (expected 100 on the old 120 scale, not a strict cutoff; 5.5 or higher on the new 1–6 scale since January 21, 2026), IELTS (expected overall 7.5, not a strict cutoff) or the Duolingo English Test (Emory’s most competitive applicants typically score above 130 of 160). TOEFL ITP is expected at CEFR C1; TOEFL ITP Plus is accepted for Mainland China only, with about 63–68 in each section. The first-year page describes the TOEFL or IELTS as “recommended”. Emory says English proficiency is reviewed in the context of each application.
• Financial certification: international students must certify sufficient funds for all expenses by submitting a Documentation of Finances or a statement from a bank or financial institution. If you apply for aid, your documentation does not need to show you can fully cover the first year.
• Aid: Emory offers need-based aid to a “select group” of international students each year. The aid page says to apply under Regular Decision to be considered (this differs from the admissions table, which also lists ED aid dates; ask the aid office). Select “yes” to financial aid in the Common App or Coalition App, submit the CSS Profile before February 5, and send tax returns to IDOC (translated into English, converted to USD, with the conversion rate stated). The page says only students who apply for and receive aid in their first year are eligible in the future, and that Emory cannot assume responsibility for currency fluctuations.
• Merit scholarships: the Office of Admission offers merit scholarships to a limited number of international students each year, through the Scholar Programs; the aid page says apply “before December” and the admissions table gives November 15.
• Curricula: IB, AP and British A-Levels are described as competitive in any country; the page also lists nationally recognized systems for places without these, in a collapsed list that we did not read country by country, and says to contact your regional admission officer with questions.
• After admission: international students must register full time each semester and should not leave home until they have received visa documents; medical insurance is mandatory, with automatic enrollment in the university plan unless equivalent coverage is shown.
• International students in nursing and clinical placements: not described on the pages we read.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages we read do not mention the Gaokao; ask your regional admission officer.
• Interview: international applicants may submit a virtual InitialView interview. For applicants from Mainland China, Emory “strongly recommends” InitialView and considers it “the preferred option when available”; it is not required for admission and does not replace the TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo test.
• English tests: the TOEFL ITP Plus is accepted for Mainland China only (about 63–68 per section, CEFR C1); other requirements follow Section 6.
• Transcripts, academic-exam records, credential evaluation and translation rules: not published on the pages we read; contact your regional admission officer.

8. Pre-health advising and research

• No pre-health major: Pre-Health Advising states “there is not a pre-health major”. It encourages you to major in what interests you and works with you to fit the prerequisite courses for health professional schools; you do not need a science major but must show you can handle upper-level science coursework; any major and either a BA or BS can lead to medical school. Common majors are Biology, Human Health and NBB, but pre-health students have majored in every area the College offers.
• Services: the office supports Emory undergraduates and alumni until they apply, with events, one-on-one and group advising and mock interviews. The Mandatory Check-Up must be completed in sophomore year to obtain a composite letter from Pre-Health Advising (pre-medical, dental, optometry and podiatry students only). The office also says grades are evaluated as a cumulative GPA and a BCPM GPA (biology, chemistry, physics and math courses).
• Medical-school outcomes the office publishes: for AMCAS 2025, 380 Emory graduates applied to MD programs (those who allowed their data to be released); national acceptance was 45% and the Emory acceptance rate was 63%, rising to 85% for applicants with a GPA of 3.7 or higher, an MCAT of 510 or higher and a May–July submission; 88% of accepted students applied between May and July. For AMCAS 2024: 365 applicants, 65%, 85% filtered. AMCAS 2023: 350 applicants, 65%. AMCAS 2022: 356 applicants, 55%. The page counts only graduates who gave permission to share data. This guide does not cover applying to medical school itself.
• Pre-health advising for international students: not described separately on the pages we read.
• Research and clinical experience: the pre-health pages list research as one of four areas of holistic development but state it is not required, only helpful; they link to Atlanta, Oxford and additional clinical-opportunity pages that we did not read; the Biology honors program page was not read.

9. Transfer students

• Eligibility (university): you have graduated from high school and completed one year as a full-time student in a degree-seeking program at another two- or four-year institution (or are in the second semester of that first full year). You need at least 28 credit hours completed or in progress (not counting AP, IB or dual enrollment), a cumulative college GPA of at least 3.0 (most admitted students have 3.5 or better), and the ability to complete two years (four semesters) at Emory. Up to 62 semester hours may transfer. Emory enrolls 100 to 120 transfer students each year.
• Deadline: fall entry only; application due March 15, aid documents March 17, decisions by early May (the page shows no year; check it is for fall 2027). Oxford College does not accept transfer applicants.
• Materials: the Common App; a college official report; official transcripts from all colleges attended (including summer work); high school transcripts; one faculty recommendation or academic evaluation; a $75 fee or waiver; testing optional; TOEFL or IELTS recommended if English is not your first language.
• Credit: no specific courses are required to apply, and Emory evaluates credit only after admission.
• Money: merit-based aid is not available to transfer students, and need-based aid is not available to international transfer students.
• Transferring into nursing (BSN Transfer Option): for students with 60 semester hours (or 90 quarter hours) of graded undergraduate credit. Prerequisites must be done with a C or higher by the start of the program, with no pass/fail: General Chemistry I with lab (4), Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab (4 each), Microbiology with lab (4), Nutrition (3), Introductory Statistics (3) and Human Growth and Development (3, covering conception through death), with electives to reach 60 hours; starred courses must be no more than seven years old. Applicants with a cumulative GPA below 3.5 must submit test scores: the SAT, ACT, GRE or TEAS (any one). The fee is $50; international transcripts need a WES evaluation; non-native speakers submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo; only coursework from regionally accredited institutions is accepted. The rounds are the same as the BSN rounds in Section 2.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Apply through the Common App by November 1 (ED I) or January 1 (ED II or Regular) with a transcript and two core-subject teacher evaluations; tests are optional for 2026–27
• Declare Biology, NBB, Human Health or another major by the end of sophomore year; the nursing BSN is applied for after you enroll, typically in the third semester, and a 3.0 GPA with prerequisites at C or better gives guaranteed admission
• For aid, meet the plan dates in the admissions table; families earning $200,000 or less (typical assets) pay no tuition from Fall 2026

International applicants (including China):

• Show English proficiency (SAT EBRW 700+, ACT English 30+, four years of English-medium schooling, or TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo); Emory strongly recommends the InitialView interview for Mainland China; ask your regional admission officer how the Gaokao may be used
• Prepare documentation of finances; for need-based aid apply Regular Decision, submit the CSS Profile and IDOC documents by February 5; aid is limited

Transfer students:

• Have at least 28 credit hours (not counting AP/IB/dual enrollment) and a 3.0 GPA; apply by March 15 for fall entry only; for nursing, finish 60 hours and the prerequisite sequence first

Sources: Emory University, Plans and deadlines; Requirements; Standardized exam policies; AP, IB and college credit; First-year applicants; How to apply; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Biology: degree options; Biology: B.S.; Biology: B.A.; NBB: academics; NBB major requirements; Center for the Study of Human Health: programs; Human Health major; Epidemiology focus; BA + MPH 4+1; Nursing: traditional BSN; Nursing: BSN transfer option; Nursing: apply and deadlines; Pre-Health Advising; Pre-Health: academics; Pre-Health: holistic review and check-up; Pre-Health: outcomes; Undergraduate financial aid; Aid for international students; 2026-27 cost of attendance; Nursing BSN cost of attendance. The plans-and-deadlines page shows no year; check that the dates are for fall 2027 entry. Emory College’s course catalog is hosted on a third-party platform and was not used; see each department’s pages for requirements.